Direct ice addition to wort, hbs says yes Brewer's best says no.

[redking11]

Ok, so my LHBS says adding ice to the wort is great because it is easy and fast, and the speed reduces the risk of bacteria infection. My Brewers Best kits says not to do but it doesn't say why not.

I've been adding ice to my wort without noticing problems. Can anyone share their experiences and maybe an explanation as to why it would be best not to add ice directly to the wort?

Many Thanks

 

[unionrdr]

Freezing dosen't kill bacteria. They just go dormant till the ice thaws. Like when the ground thaws in the spring,& construction (read orange barrel season) starts. They get poofed into the air with the dust,rehydrate in the airs' moisture,& you breath it & get sick.
I'd rather use the ice in a bath to cool the BK.

 

[redking11]

Ok, so ice doesnt kill bacteria, but what is the harm with adding it to your wort? Does the ice have bacteria in it? I use sterile ice?

 

[unionrdr]

Or maybe the spring water ice from the spring water source. We have cherry knoll & artisian springs around here. lika buck for 10lbs.

 

[hillybilly]

I boil water let it cool and pur in santized 2 liter bottles then feeeze on brew day I santize a razor knife and the oursid of the bottle cut it open and add to wort no problems so far this is with extract

 

[unionrdr]

Ok, so ice doesnt kill bacteria, but what is the harm with adding it to your wort? Does the ice have bacteria in it? I use sterile ice?

Yes,the ice has bacteria in it,that was my point. and unless you have lab quality equipment,it's sanitized,but not sterile if you take any steps to do so.

 

[Rhumbline]

On today's brew I tried something different. I refrigerated the boiled water the day before and used it to top off. A few gallons of 42 degree water made things cool off quickly.

I think that's going to be my standard from now on.

 

[unionrdr]

Boiled water or fresh spring water from the source,like I do. Getting it in the fridge for 1-2 days before brew day chills it down real well. chill wort to 75F or so,then strain into FV & add chilled spring water. I've gotten it down to as low as 53F before. During winter when I put it in the garage anyway. In spring,summer,I can get that 75F wort down to 60.8F.